


second in class, first in my heart

by listenup_folks



Category: fifth harmony - Fandom
Genre: F/F, High School AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 06:42:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9060067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/listenup_folks/pseuds/listenup_folks
Summary: Getting an A in science but an F in keeping your shit together





	1. untitled part

**Author's Note:**

> Wattpad : longerr_hours

In the first grade, Camila started school at Riverdale Elementary, she hadn’t been in school since then, her parents had immigrated to the states right before her birth and unfortunately were too busy to enroll her in any type of preschool, but six year old Camila was ready to shine, and maybe learn more English. She did speak it pretty well though, and most of the students thought it was cool that she could speak two languages. But Lauren Jauregui could speak Spanish and she spoke English better than Camila so the fame lasted a solid five minutes. 

In the third grade Camila got a 98% on her math test. Her teacher bragged to the whole class that it was the best grade in their group, that they should all take time to study to get grades like Camila. But then Ms. Campbell remembered that someone in the other class got 100% and then took time to say that type of effort, especially at this age will get you far in life. Lauren Jauregui was the person to get 100%.

In the sixth grade Camila went to volleyball tryouts. Volleyball wasn’t too big in their city so nobody really played it before middle school, then it became hardcore but it was hard to make the team. She did make it though, in fact she was the only sixth grader to make it. Besides Lauren Jauregui of course, but Lauren Jauregui had already been playing since apparently first grade so she didn’t even need to go to tryouts to be guaranteed a spot. In seventh grade Camila decided to quit because the bench wasn’t the most fun place to spend her days. 

Lauren Jauregui slow danced with Keaton in eighth grade. Camila had overheard him asking his friends if she should ask Camila or Lauren, apparently torn between the two Latinas, but Alexa was one of the people he was asking and apparently wanted Lauren to get a boyfriend. So Camila left the school event early because she had also overheard Austin Mahone saying he was going to ask her to dance and he wasn’t exactly her type. (Later on she'd find out that hey, neither was Keaton).

Lauren Jauregui was always the star in the musicals. It wasn't that Camila wasn't talented, it was far from that actually because anybody that had heard he younger girl sing agreed that she was pure talent. The issue was that Camila was too shy to audition and always settled for ensemble. 

Lauren Jauregui is their class president and has been since freshmen year. She won the vote, mainly because at the time she was dating a sophomore and gained the popular vote, leaving Camila as the vice president. However junior year Camila resigned her position because they bickered too much when working closely to each other and Camila’s parents needed her tog get a job to help pay for groceries. 

Lauren Jauregui won homecoming queen in their senior year. She was in the city’s Christmas parade alongside the king Austin Mahone (who Camila still refused to go out with) and smiled brighter than Camila could have if she had even been nominated. Not to mention that her parents could never afford braces so Camila was still embarrassed to even attempt to smile in front of crowds. 

Lauren Jauregui is second in class. She’s second in class out of five hundred students and she has been for the three years of high school that she’s competed since the first progress report of freshmen year. She’s a year ahead in math and science, in all AP classes, enrolled in math and science electives, and captain of the volleyball team. She’s basically gone through her whole entire public school career on the same exact road and despite their mutual dislike for each other, Camila has to admit she respects Lauren’s intelligence and skill in other fields. 

But the best part of all of that is that Camila is first in their class. The class of five hundred students that is, the one that Lauren is second of. Camila has been since the first progress report of their freshmen year and she thinks that fact alone is a big fuck you to their third grade math teacher.

They’re in all the same classes of course, AP Calculus, AP Chemistry (since they finished all the common core sciences early), AP Computer Science, AP Statistics, etc., and through that they’ve managed to stay neck and neck throughout those three years. Camila’s GPA that takes the prize is a 4.93 out of 5.0 scale whereas Lauren’s falls at a 4.9. Really the only difference is probably a missed homework assignment, or using pen on a test that the teacher had specifically written pencil only. It’s really not a huge deal but to Camila is means that she’s winning something and therefore Lauren Jauregui is losing. 

And no that isn’t a hostile way of thinking about a girl she barely knows because she knows Lauren. Well kind of knows Lauren. Most people who have all classes together become friends, they somehow form a mutual respect and have a “may the best man win” way of looking at situations like these since they both know how much work it takes. 

Camila and Lauren don’t have that at all. She isn’t quite sure when it started. It could have been in ninth grade when their Geometry teacher purposely pinned them against each other and that’s what Camila likes to think it is, but she knows it goes back to the third grade math test, maybe even her first day of first grade when Lauren spoke better Spanish than her. The point is that they’ve been school rivals since forever ago and it sure as hell didn’t stop just because they were maturing in every other aspect.

That’s how they ended up here though, glaring at each other every five minutes from across the room as they both furiously write the conclusions in their English practice essay. It’s february of their senior year and they’ve come to the ultimate stage of being petty, racing to pass in work. Both girls are highly aware that that also risks the chance of it being bad work, but neither cares and they’re so far ahead of everyone besides each other that it doesn’t really matter if they lose a few points because chances are that if Lauren is losing points, so is Camila and vice versa. They race through everything because ever since junior year when they had to go to a new teacher they’ve been getting the same grades, so pride in the actual grade is now a thing taken for granted, the time on the other hand is not. 

Lauren is the one to dot her paper first and push out of her seat, swiftly making her way to the front of the room and stapling her paper while Camila finishes and jumps up to beat her but Lauren’s paper is in the inbox and she hands Camila the stapler with her signature smirk and Camila shoots one back before rolling her eyes and turning it in, some students watching the interaction with a smile at the banter, used to it over the years, while other students continue to work at a slow steady pace like the two girls used to. 

Camila may have better grades overall but to be honest she knows that they’re pretty even, she just has the label to smack on her resume and name and also in Lauren Jauregui’s face. 

Whenever they have races such as this they spend the rest of the class not so subtly glaring at each other, the winner smirking and the loser shooting daggers. To onlookers the daggers look playful but both girls know that if it was possible to actually shoot daggers out of your eyes, neither would hesitate. 

The bell rings before their glaring can continue and Lauren shoots one last teasing wink to rub in her win before swinging her bag over her shoulder and exiting the room. 

“Woah Walz you really gotta stop with the whole Jauregui thing,” Dinah laughs from her seat as she piles her books away before taking her time to bring up her finished paper and turn it in, Mr. Akeida grinning as she does and then leaving since it’s friday and god knows teachers hate staying later than necessary. “I mean the tension is hot and all but are you sure writing a paper in twenty minutes is a good idea? I mean I know I’m no Einstein but it took ya girl fifty minutes and I don’t even feel confident in it.”

“Fuck off Dinah obviously I wouldn’t turn in work if I wasn’t confident in it,” Camila mutters back as she sits up and grabs her bag making her way over to where Dinah is still riffling through papers, urging her friend to go any faster.

“Okay Chanch I’m just saying, you and her have been going at it for years I just don’t want you losing your spot over some playful competition-”

“It’s not playful Dinah, she’s trying to kill me or something and I’m not letting her beat me every time,” Camila bites back as Dinah finally gets up, slowly making their way to the door together. “Besides, that wasn’t even a graded essay you know? It’s just practice for the AP tests and you and I both know I’ll ace those without the tedious practice."

“Whatever you say Mila, I just worry about your mental health,” Dinah begins with a smile rambling on about something else as they walk down the hall but Camila doesn’t listen because Lauren is paused at Alexa’s locker and she smirks when she catches Camila’s eye.

“Hey Cabello, great race you put up on the essay,” Lauren starts with a smug look and Dinah stops talking and rolls her eyes once she notices the girls arguing again. “Maybe if you spent less time stumbling over the reading you’d be able to get to the writing more quickly,” she continues and Camila puts on an overly fake smile while readying a come back while Dinah and Alexa share looks of annoyance at this continuous childish banter. 

“Nice insult Jauregui is that what you spent the whole second half off class trying to come up with? I mean, we know you’re good with the books but you don’t have the best wit out there now do ya?” Camila says and Lauren scoffs, rolling her eyes and opening her mouth to snap something back but Dinah interrupts, not in the mood for their fifth grade comebacks that can last however long you let them.

“Okay Mila we gotta go pick up Sofi let’s leave the girl be okay?” she says in a teasing tone, as if talking to a five year old, and Camila nods to herself but doesn’t break her glare with Lauren until Dinah tugs her by the arm away from the lockers. 

“Bye Alexa, bye Lauren I’ll see you guys at practice tomorrow morning,” Dinah calls over her shoulder. She plays an AAU team with the girls for volleyball year round which makes Lauren and Camila’s feud the more funny. If it weren’t for their grades the two would probably be good friends in Dinah’s mind. Unfortunately Dinah moved there in eighth grade and befriended them both after the feud had begun so there was no stopping it now, but it was funny to watch for the most part. 

By this point, everybody is finding out what colleges they got into, or already have and the constant arguing between Lauren and Camila is pointless because their GPAs speak louder than their school rank and that’s what the colleges are seeing. Plus Dinah already knows both girls got into Stanford (which is both of their number one picks, Dinah hasn’t told them yet but she thinks them ending up at school together again would be hilarious).

In the end though, Dinah is better friends with Camila. The smaller girl is more closed off and only really talks to Dinah, Shawn, and Ally who graduated last year, and she’s going through a lot. Nobody besides Dinah knows all the shit Camila goes through at home, and ultimately despite not wanting to side in the two girls’ feud, Dinah is happy that Camila is number one because she deserves it. 

Dinah became close to Camila quickly after meeting her, the girls had bonded in their mutual obsessions with Gossip Girl at the time. Since they were thirteen years old Camila had been Dinah’s rock, her place to go, person to talk to when she was feeling anything other than happy. And usually she was the reason that she was happy too. Dinah had been going through family troubles when they met, living in a house with so many people that she felt invisible and having to get jobs at a young age to help pay for things. 

Camila let Dinah go to her to vent or to get her mind off of it completely. In ninth grade Dinah found out that Camila was going through similar issues and loved her even more because despite the fact that Camila was also going through shit she never let Dinah down, putting the younger girl’s needs in life before her own. At that point though Camila was used to being closed off and usually refused to vent. But knowing that Dinah was there was enough for Camila and the two had been best friends ever since.

In the tenth grade Dinah’s uncle got a new job and was able to help get their family out of their horrible situation, buying a new apartment for half of them and paying for groceries without making any of the kids work. Dinah still did of course, wanting to help since they still weren’t well off, just better, but at the same time things got worse for Camila. 

Lauren is a hard worker too though, so her winning wouldn’t be the end of the world. Camila is going through more that she can’t control, her stress is all from the series of unfortunate events that her life is becoming. Lauren on the other hand is so stressed out because of the pressure she puts onto herself. 

Not only is she racing Camila for this top spot, but she’s racing for volleyball scholarships and she’s running student council, and she’s working herself to the bone. To some people, pressure is worse when others put it on you, but to Lauren nothing feels worse than disappointing herself. And not being first in class kind of feels that way. She’s happy that if someone has to beat her it’s Camila because damn is that girl smart, but it’s also one of those things where she’s so close that it hurts to not be there. 

The fact that they always have classes together, as in every single class since eighth grade together, makes it all worse. They’re not only getting pressure from themselves and outside sources, but the constant competition between each other and the other kids in advanced classes is doubling the weight on their shoulders. 

Being in the top of their class just means any grade that they get determines whether they stay or get booted off of the island. 

Camila remembers in the tenth grade when they started prepping for AP test with forty minute writes, they learned to either prove, disprove, or qualify an argument. Teachers always said qualifying is the easiest because you can use any argument while fighting both sides.

Camila and Lauren both decided the easy route wasn’t the one they wanted to be taking.

While most students in socratic seminars were agreeing and building upon their own arguments Camila and Lauren was always tearing each other’s down to build their own up. The rule was that everyone had to talk three times, so until everyone had the two of them only made a few points to fight about, but when everyone else was complete Camila and Lauren would argue back and forth for the rest of the period to try to make the other look bad and themselves look good. 

They never agreed, and usually they would make a list of points for both sides and just wait to see which of them got to go first. Say the answers are yes, no, and sometimes. Camila would list out a hundred reasons for yes and a hundred reasons for no, then she would wait to see which side Lauren took and argue whatever she didn’t. And based on Lauren’s lengthy notes Camila knew she did the same. 

Unfortunately neither of them ever really succeeded in making the other look bad, but their intense need to prove the other wrong always resulted in the best grades in the their class. (Which was usually a 100% so they couldn’t even use that to see who won). 

Camila buried herself in school to distract herself from how shitty her life was getting. Ever since Dinah’s life started getting better in their tenth grade year, Camila’s life started going straight down hill. First and most personal was her discovery of her sexuality. The reason that was so difficult was because she felt selfish. Her family had money issues, her parents were having marriage problems, her sister was lonely, and Camila was stressed about her sexuality? To anyone that would seem like a perfectly fine thing to stress about because that can be difficult for a teen, but Camila felt like she was making a big deal out of nothing. So what if she liked girls, she isn’t dating anyone so she shouldn’t be worrying about that at all. 

Once she forced herself to get over that she focused on her family’s money issues, picking up a second job and more shifts at the grocery store she worked at. 

It slowly went downhill from there though and by her birthday in senior year things were almost at rock bottom. 

It wasn’t until a week after she turned 18 years old that her family really sunk to the ocean floor. 

“Dinah?” Camila’s voice speaks into the phone and Dinah knows this isn’t good. She’s heard Camila’s voice in every way, when she’s happy in a careless, childish way, when she’s happy in a “I just got a better grade than Lauren way”, when she’s sad in a nostalgic way, when she’s sad in a “Lauren just got a better grade than me” way. She’s heard her cry over her family’s issues but only once or twice. 

The first time was because Sofi was missing. That was worse than the second time which was just a venting session about general feelings. But back to the first time, it turned out Sofi had just went to a friends house and was fine, but Dinah hoped she never had to hear her friend so scared and broken and alone again. 

This time Camila was ten times more broken and scared and alone and she had only said one word. 

Camila’s family is gone. They’re not home right now, they’re not coming back for dinner, they’re not coming back for graduation, they’re not coming back for anything. 

She never really understood how being deported works. Maybe it’s because Dinah has never had to worry about it, maybe it’s because she’s never had it happen to anyone she loves. 

She never knew that one day your family can just be gone, taken away and gone at the drop of a hat. 

Camila is eighteen years old now and was born in America so apparently when the cops came to take her family the aggressive, power hungry men decided she could fend for herself. 

That had been something Camila frequently worried about. Apparently in Camila’s junior year one of the neighbors had been making comments about them living there illegally and Sinu and Alejandro had panicked to get their citizenship but the system isn’t fair and things don’t go according to plan. 

Dinah had tried her best to comfort her friend whenever the topic came up and it normally worked, scratch that always worked. Dinah could take Camila’s mind off of it with movies and ice cream and sudoku (since Camila is the biggest nerd there is). But how does she help take it off Camila’s mind when it’s actually happening?

As soon as Camila gets out half an explanation on the phone Dinah’s yelling for her mom and ten minutes later they’re pulling into Camila’s driveway. It’s heartbreaking for Dinah to see her friend sitting on her front steps, a notice on the door that Dinah can only assume gives a shitty explanation. Dinah’s mom helps guide Camila to the car and instructs Dinah to go in the back door and get some of Camila’s clothes. Luckily it’s unlocked as it always is and Dinah’s heart breaks even more when she sees the mess left behind while the Cabellos rushed to pack what they could. 

Dinah spends the next hours counselling Camila, holding her while she shakes with sobs, then holding her while she sleeps because she can’t let her go. Surprisingly Camila is up before Dinah to get ready for school the next day, and if Dinah had to use one word to describe her it would be numb. 

She pours everything into her studies more than she had before, which is saying something, and she doesn’t even glare that hard at Lauren anymore. 

That’s the first week at least, but the following month left of school the word would change to denial. 

She glares at Lauren twice as hard now and tries to study but Dinah knows her focus is messy. 

Luckily seniors don’t have exams, they get out early and the teachers try not to stress them out with unnecessary work since most of them are already all set with colleges. So Camila is grateful this shit storm didn’t hit in the beginning of the year because then she’d probably have dropped to maybe tenth in class if she was lucky. 

It’s a pop quiz in math that does it. 

The seniors get to leave school on May 25 every year. It’s a month before the other students get out and a week before the graduation ceremony. May 15 is the day the principle calls the valedictorian and salutatorian into his office to discuss the valedictorian’s speech and the scholarships for them both. 

“Excuse the interruptions teachers, may Lauren Jauregui and Camila Cabello please report to the office, I repeat Lauren Jauregui and Camila Cabello to the principle’s office,” says the annoying secretary’s voice over the loud speaker. 

As suspected, the two girls glance at each other, as they always do in classes because in school they’re in their competition mode. 

This time though the glare is missing from Camila’s face, and Camila notices the glare on Lauren’s may have never been a glare, but just a reflection of Camila’s own facial expression. 

Right now they both just look defeated and too nervous to be confident in anything.

Lauren’s eyes were always something Camila used to read her own future. Usually Lauren wore confidence and damn it if she didn’t wear it well than Camila didn’t know what well meant. Like when they passed in a test, if Lauren’s smirk met her eyes, Camila knew her place in number one was at risk. Sometimes they read nerves, but usually that’s just on finals and midterms and usually Lauren ends up getting a perfect score like Camila. 

Right now though they don’t read much of anything other than acceptance that there isn’t anything left to prove or any way to prove it. Whatever they hear in the main office settles who wins. 

“Girls that’s your cue,” Mr. Bell speaks up curiously looking at the two and breaking their moment, making Camila look down blushing for a moment before grabbing her bag and making her way to the door, only barely passing the door wide enough for Lauren to catch after her. 

The walk down to the office is silent, filled with tension, and for the first time between the two girls it’s awkward. 

Camila remembers the first and only time her and Lauren agreed in a socratic seminar. 

She tries to not think about that often because despite her usual strategy to just disprove whatever Lauren said, Camila took the same side as the raven haired girl and although Lauren seemed caught off guard at first, together they ripped apart their teacher’s fight. 

The question had been on the pressure in school systems that is placed on students. It had been on whether or not that’s a bunch of bullshit and as hard as Camila tried to make a list for either argument (to fight with Lauren, and also because apparently that’s a good strategy for writing), she couldn’t build a side that said the pressure is exaggerated. 

She couldn’t find a way to explain it either because it was too close to home, too close to her anxiety and depression that she’s still fighting, to her unspoken hatred for every teacher and homework assignment she has. 

Lauren could though. Lauren talked about when doing your best became doing the best and Camila wasn’t ashamed at all to agree with her. 

The students and teacher in the classroom seemed taken aback at first when Camila knocked on her desk and rose her hand - the signal of agreement that had never existed between the two girls - but the shock was soon replaced with fear when Camila spoke with confidence and then bounced the floor back to Lauren who went off on another rant. 

Neither girl ever addressed the agreement, the most that came was a few shared smiles and a final nod from Lauren was she left the room. 

“Ahh, there’s my top girls,” Mr. Taggen spoke when the girls finally made their way across the school to the main office. “Now, I think you two know why I’ve called you here today,” he continues, sitting down at his desk and gesturing for them to take the two seats in front of it. “I’ve been watching your race for first for your whole careers and I have to say a big congrats to the both of you because your grades have remained impeccable since the start. This was one of the closest races I’m yet to see in our school since I’ve worked here and I’m proud of you both, but unfortunately I can’t reward you both with the speech.”

Lauren is fiddling with her fingers in her lap, Camila can see it out of the corner of her eye and she knows it is what Lauren does when she’s nervous. She’s seen the older girl do it enough times to easily recognize it because Camila watched Lauren a lot in class, especially during the important moments. 

Like during a geometry test in freshmen year that the class average was a 73% for. Lauren had gotten a 99% though and had nothing to worry about, Camila had gotten a 98% on it.

Or when their chemistry teacher was passing back science fair grades in tenth grade. Lauren once again got the highest in their class, a 104% because of her extra credit by judging at the middle schools fair. Camila had gotten a plain 100% because she had to work somewhere else that day.

Then there was that time in spanish 4 junior year that they had an oral exam. Lauren had gotten 100% because of her studying. Camila had gotten a 97% because she accidentally used a slang word that her mother taught her instead of the textbook’s word. 

“That being said, I’ll forward the scholarship information to the both of your parents - well actually Camila dear you can see guidance about your situation but keep me updated okay? And Lauren, Ms. McGrath will see you about the specifics for the speech but here is the regulations sheet, once again congratulations, now I have a meeting but feel free to stay here until the bell rings if you don’t want to go back to class,” he finishes and hands Lauren a packet that Camila always thought she would read through while she was panicking about her words. 

He’s out the door before Camila can escape. Lauren isn’t fiddling with her fingers anymore, she’s holding the papers. But she isn’t looking at them, she’s frozen in place looking at Camila with confusion written all over her face. Camila can barely work up the nerve to look up though, trying to read Lauren’s full expression out of the corner of her eyes and also willing herself not to cry.

Apparently Lauren had stopped checking the online scaling that showed her class rank. Probably thought at this point it was hopeless since Camila had been number one since their first progress reports freshmen year. But even if that wasn’t the reason she is clearly thrown for a loop that she’s the one making the speech and that Camila is second best yet again. 

When Camila finally knows she can look up without breaking into sobs she meets those eyes again and there’s no smug look, no confidence, no defeat, just confusion. Maybe a little bit of sympathy.

“Camila when did-”

“Congrats, Lauren really you umm… You earned it and I’m happy for you,” Camila compliments before Lauren can ask any questions that she doesn’t want to give an answer for. “Now I’m going to get a head start to Computers, I guess I’ll umm, see you there, bye,” and Camila is out of her seat too, moving quickly to grab her bag and swallow her pride as she makes way for the door. 

She stops once she’s out of the office to glance back at the girl who keeps getting first place because to be honest she’s kind of in aw. She wonders what it feels like to have your shit together. And based on the small smile on Lauren’s face it must feel pretty good. And Camila meant it when she said she was happy for her. 

Getting a head start to computer science was bullshit though because as Camila makes her way out of the main office reception areas she runs into her dean who apologizes for her last minute drop and then she can feel herself starting to cry. Of course she puts on a fake smile and says some crap about how second is good too, but when she’s finally alone in the hall she lets a few tears slide down her cheeks and she can’t stop crying once she starts so she decides to go for the back exit instead of the computer lab. She’ll still have perfect attendance, she’ll just call guidance later and they’ll excuse it since she has so many home issues right now, but she’s never missed a class all high school so it feels kind of like giving up. 

She goes into school the next day and the next though. She doesn’t raise her hand when teachers ask questions, she doesn’t rush through any quizzes, she doesn’t glare at Lauren.

She actually avoids looking at Lauren at all costs. The older girl has been shooting her questioning looks all week. She’s been looking like she wants to talk to Camila, actually pretty genuinely concerned and Camila doesn’t need that. She hasn’t even spoken to Dinah yet, despite Dinah begging her to talk when the news of Lauren winning the race for valedictorian broke via Alexa’s instagram congratulating her best friend.

But she is living at Dinah’s house, so as much of a relief it is to finally get out of school on that next week, the relief is gone when she remembers the volleyball team’s annual party at Dinah’s house ever since she moved into a house with a pool in the back. 

Camila hides. She hides for as long as she can anyways, but the food is calling her so she goes down to grab a bite to eat and hopes that all the girls will be out on the patio. 

Lucky for Camila, most of the girls are outside, but when she turns into the kitchen Lauren and Alexa are standing against the counter talking about their last game in their bathingsuits. 

Now Camila isn’t blind. She’s also gay, extremely so. Therefore she knows that another thing Lauren will always win is the category of best looking (Camila is pretty sure she did in the yearbook). But now that she’s not spending all of her time hating the green eyed girl and now that she’s in a bikini, Camila can’t help but wonder how she ever hated Lauren.

“Camila? What are you doing here you aren’t on the team,” Alexa’s voice breaks her gaze on the other Latina’s body and Camila feels herself flush when she looks up and Lauren’s eyes are on her face, raising and eyebrow at Camila checking her out.

“Oh yeah I was just grabbing some food, I’ll be back up in my room and you guys can get back to your sports talk in no time,” Camila jokes, embarrassed at being caught and wanting to slip away as soon possible. 

“Wait, your room? You live here?” Lauren asks with furrowed brows and Camila almost drops the plate she was loading because she doesn’t want to answer this. 

“Yeah I do,” she answers simplys instead of elaborating, hoping that Lauren won’t pry at all.

“”Why?” and yup the girl didn’t take the hint maybe if Camila is lucky-

“Chancho! Come join the party girl,” Dinah shouts enthusiastically when she enters the room, Normani trailing behind her with a smile and wave. 

“Oh no I just got hungry,” Camila explains, finally done with her plate and reaching for a drink before the kitchen can get crowded. “I’ll see you guys at graduation though, right?” and she gets a murmur of agreement. She meets Lauren’s still questioning eyes once more before turning and dashing up to her room, eager to distract herself with Netflix and food as per usual.

The ceremony is long and boring. The only part that doesn’t make Camila want to off herself is Lauren’s speech. 

It’s about stress on students. It’s about the only thing the two of them ever openly agreed on in their entire high school career. And when Lauren looks for and finds Camila’s gaze as she reads the closing sentence, Camila can’t hold back a smile, feeling like maybe Lauren chose that topic as a way to represent the both of them. She chose it to give Camila a voice in the speech she was so close to having. 

Camila gets to introduce the superintendent of the school systems since she is salutatorian and she kind of wants to trip him for supporting a school system that made her hate the girl that’s still smiling at her from her seat. 

She walks behind Lauren in line to get their diplomas. And being behind Lauren isn’t all that bad. She gets to see Lauren’s smile when she gets her diploma and waves to her younger brother who’s obnoxiously yelling from the group of juniors. She gets to look at the neat cut to Lauren’s hair, maybe she’ll compliment it later because Lauren’s hair has always been beautiful. Also Lauren’s ass is pretty great too. 

It’s after everyone is on the field celebrating though that her eyes meet green ones and she can’t ignore them.

“Hi,” Lauren smiles nervously as she walks up to Camila slowly on the grass. Camila has been sitting alone for a while. She was with Dinah’s family at first, and Shawn is with a few other juniors but he came over to congratulate her too, but she decided to give people space to be with the people they care about, she would get to call her family later maybe if they had connection. 

“Hey,” Camila says back with a light flush to her cheeks. This is going to be the first conversation her and Lauren have without sass to it. “I liked your speech, the composition and the thoughts and your words they were just… You were always the best writer I’ve known,” Camila compliments, feeling shy for a reason she doesn’t know exactly. 

“Thank you really Camila, but we both know that was you,” Lauren replies with only a moment of hesitation. “Listen I wanted you to know that I… I know I had a higher GPA in the end but you’re the one who should’ve given that speech Camila,” Lauren says sounding a bit unsure of herself but then looking into Camila’s eyes with a hint of that confidence Camila has subconsciously grown to love. 

“I heard about your family,” she continues, reading Camila’s face before talking again, “and I want you to know I’m really sorry about what happened. And Camila I don’t want you to think I’m pitying you or something because I’m not but you really deserved this. Hell, you managed to stay number two while going through that much? I thought volleyball was hard but you were pulling yourself through and I just… I knew it was going to be one of us but I honestly never thought it wouldn’t be you,” Lauren speaks on and Camila can hear sincerity in her words and she loves it in comparison to the fakeness she’s so used to by now. 

“I want you to know that I always kind of looked up to you, you know? I used you as a way to push myself and I wanted to say thank you for making me work harder. I meant what I said in that speech and I meant what I said in tenth grade, I will forever despise that the school system pits us against each other but right now that’s mainly because it kept us from being friends,” Lauren continues and Camila hasn’t gotten a word out but she doesn’t think she could with the amount of shock she’s in right now. 

“My grandparents were deported two years ago,” Lauren says with a frown taking over her face. “I just… I really wish I could’ve helped you in math that week Camila because you deserved this and one shitty pop quiz took it from you,” Lauren finishes and er voice cracks at the last part making Camila realize that there are tears pooling in Lauren’s green eyes. And maybe Lauren just gets emotional easily, and maybe her grandparents were really important to her, but that doesn’t matter. Camila doesn’t wait another second before wrapping her arms as tightly as she can around Lauren’s waist and tugging her into a hug stronger than any that Camila has had since the last time she saw Sofi. 

“Thank you,” Camila mumbles into Lauren’s neck as she hugs her tighter. Lauren hadn’t hesitated a single millisecond to wrap her arms around Camila’s shoulders and pull her in just as fiercely. 

They hug for a while. Like longer than they should. And neither of them are really crying but their eyes are definitely blurry.

Camila finally pulls away after a moment though and they hold eye contact for a moment. Not glaring, for once in their life, and Camila can see so much in Lauren’s eyes that she wonders how she never took a look past those glares in English class. 

“Umm, anyways I was wondering if you wanted to come out to eat with my family? I know that might sound weird and all since we never really… yeah but we’re having Cuban food and I know that you and Chris did history club together so you know at least two of use?” Lauren suggest nervously and Camila can’t believe this is happening and she also can’t believe how hard she’s smiling. “And it’s okay with my family, I asked my mom last week, I was actually going to ask you at Dinah’s but I didn’t want to bother you upstairs,” Lauren rambles on nervously, rubbing a hand through her hair, another thing Camila noticed her doing before and after the harder tests that they had been through together. “Plus my family already knows a lot about you since I talked about you a lot to them through high school, and I explained how we're both going to Stanford so it'll be good to get closer, you know? So we have someone on the other coast to talk to when we need it” Lauren yaps on and Camila giggles shortly making Lauren’s eyes snap up from where they had rested at their feet and she flushes as she realizes she’d been rambling. 

“I’d love to, Lauren thank you for the invitation really,” Camila says with a huge smile on her face and she’s thrilled when Lauren’s smile grows in response. “And also it’s good to know you talked about me all high school,” she teases and Lauren flushes before laughing along once she realizes there’s no harm in telling the truth.

“Yeah well they deserved to know about the girl who was keeping me on the right track now didn’t they?” she says back and she’s smirking at Camila, but it’s not the villainous thing that Camila used to think it was, it’s actually adorable because someone as cute as Lauren can’t be intimidating for shit. 

“Touche Jauregui, touche,” Camila grins back and Lauren laughs shortly before grabbing Camila’s hand and tugging her towards where Camila thinks her family probably is. 

And Lauren’s hands are soft, warm, and soothing and Camila gets why she always fiddled with them when she was nervous because they’re comforting to a level Camila has never felt.

She could get used to this.


	2. titled part

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wattpad : longerr_hours

Dinah is still Camila’s rock in life, really she is. She’s been there for Camila through all the ups and downs that she could possibly have and it’s amazing to Camila that Dinah still puts up with her shit after having to deal with her stubborn ass since eighth grade. 

They’d been there for each other for five years, they know each other like the back of their hands, better than that even and now that they’re going to have to be apart from each other, it hurts. The thought alone hurts like hell but knowing that soon enough not only will they no longer be roommates but they’ll be states away, Camila feels like she’s sick to her stomach. 

That being said saying good bye to Dinah at the airport when Camila is leaving for Stanford that August is one of the hardest things she thinks she’s ever going to have to do. Especially since Camila is leaving earlier than originally scheduled, now early August instead of late August. 

They’d spent the whole last week catching up on any thoughts they were having. Camila was still staying at Dinah’s house but instead of staying in the guest room Camila had moved into Dinah’s room and the two were inseparable. They’d eat every meal together, take quicker showers so they’d have as much time together as possible, really they couldn’t go without being near each other since Dinah was going up to New York which is on the opposite side of the country. The last two days were spent crying and watching sappy movies that they’d always loved. 

So now at the airport, Camila had expected to be all cried out. Well not really at all, she knew she’d be a blubbering mess, but she hoped she’d be all cried out. Dinah is the last person in line to say goodbye to next to Alexa and she feels kind of like her heart is being ripped in half, one part going to New York the other California. 

“I’m going to miss you so much DJ,” Camila cries into the younger girl’s hair as they hug each other as tightly as possible. “I can’t believe I have to leave you, is it too late to hide you in my luggage?” she whines and buries her face further into the girl’s neck.

“Camz,” she hears faintly but ignores it as she clings onto Dinah.

“I don’t think that’s an option Chancho your bag is already through the baggage check,” Dinah cries back, lifting Camila into the air momentarily.

“Camz, Dinah,” the voice calls again and Camila knows who it is, obviously, since nobody else calls her Camz, but she shushes her anyways and continues to hug Dinah like their lives depend on it. 

“I’ll miss you so much Cheech,” Camila continues, pulling away to look at Dinah so her words aren’t muffled, “I’ll call you every day and text you between and during classes okay?” 

“Camz-”

“Yeah I will too Mila,” Dinah says with a small smile, pulling Camila in one more time for a tight hug, “And if that vampire keeps trying to ruin the moment, you’re going to need a new roommate because I’m gonna make sure she gets thrown outta the plane,” she continues, making Lauren groan in annoyance from next to them. 

“Guys seriously I'm not trying to kill the moment and all but if we wait any longer we’re going to miss the flight,” Lauren says carefully, not wanting to be hit but also not wanting to screw themselves over because Camila got emotional at the wrong time. “Now I know this is tough but you can call every day okay?”

Camila looks between Lauren and Dinah one last time before hugging Dinah tightly again and then pulling away and grabbing her carryon bag. “Dinah, protect my stuffed animals that I had to leave behind, then leave Seth in charge,” she says with a salute with her free hand before grabbing onto Lauren’s extended hand.

“I love you Mila,” Dinah shouts as the girls stand, ready to go.

“I love you too DMac,” Camila smiles, squeezing Lauren’s hand as a signal to go before letting the older girl lead her to the terminal entrance. 

“It’ll be alright Camzi,” Lauren mumbles as she leads Camila into the plane and to their seats, letting Camila take the window seat because she knows the younger girl likes watching the clouds once they get up. 

Once they’re seated and Lauren has put their carry on bags into the above compartments, the older Latina takes Camila’s hand back in her own, rubbing it softly to comfort her as Camila buries her face into Lauren’s shoulder, breathing in her scent and sighing in relief that something is staying the way she knows it. 

“If someone told me a year ago I’d be holding Camila Cabello on our way to Cali together I’d laugh in their face,” Lauren jokes and Camila lets out a bark of laughter against her shoulder that’s muffled by the fabric of Lauren’s t shirt.

It’s true, completely true. Hell, if someone told either of them even two months ago they would probably laugh in the poor person’s face. But sure enough here they are, on their way to their room on the dorms at Stanford University. 

That’s why Camila left so early actually, because Lauren got part of her scholarship for academics and the other part for volleyball, so Camila decided to go up early with her. She wasn’t lying when she said Dinah was her stone, but right now Lauren is her person. Lauren gets her completely. All of the things Camila has been struggling with for the past five years are things that Lauren has went through in a sense as well.  
Turns out Lauren’s grandparents had been deported in a similar way that Camila’s parents had. Not a lot of notice, not a lot of reason, just cruel people doing cruel things. Camila bonded with not only Lauren, but the whole Jauregui family over that issue and they had quickly become another home to her. 

Lauren was also bisexual. Camila was gay so it was a little bit different, but they’d apparently been struggling with the same internal battle all throughout high school. Lauren had told her family a few weeks after graduation and Camila is happy to say she held Lauren’s hand through it and hugged her right after. It was a little awkward when her family immediately assumed the two were dating but Lauren was quick to correct them and they easily laughed it off since the two were already close enough for stuff like that to not bother them. 

Camila finally got in better contact with her family, and that was amazing because she had missed them more than anything in the world, especially Sofi, but with Clara and Mike inviting her over for Cuban dinners every week (that she’s pretty sure they started doing just for her out of Lauren’s request) she felt more at home with her life than she had in a while.

The fact that they had so much in common made it impossible for Camila to not knock down basically every wall that she had spent so much time hand crafting to keep everyone else out. But technically Camila and Lauren were like the same person in two different bodies, so maybe Camila hadn’t knocked them down, maybe Lauren just knew the route in because ehrs were built the same way. And she’s pretty sure she’s mapped her way into Lauren’s head and heart too so maybe they are just too similar to keep secrets.

Which sucks hardcore because Camila is crushing majorly on Lauren. She figures she always has been. There’s always been an unexplainable jealousy with Lauren. And once Camila realised she was into girls and not guys, she couldn’t tell herself she was mad about Lauren and Brad dating (for that solid two weeks) because she liked Brad. She had to face herself and admit to maybe liking Lauren but she never really came to terms with that until she realized the older girl wasn’t completely despicable. 

Once she found out that Lauren was bisexual something absolutely horrible inside of her called hope was sparked and since that first week she really got to know Lauren her feelings have slowly begun to develop into more than a silly crush (and by slowly Camila means rapidly with no control). 

They’d been together for basically the whole summer, other than the last week which they both decided to have one on one time with their families and friends so they could say goodbye to them, since the two would be living together for a year at least and didn’t think they’d need to be with each other too much leading up to it.

Camila and Lauren were proven wrong though, and although they’d never admit it because the other would tease them senseless, sitting on the plane this closely together was something they’d been dying to do since they hugged goodbye a week prior. 

It wasn’t as if they had ditched their friends all summer though. No it was the opposite actually, they’d made a mini friend group out of their few close friends. One thing that both girls were ecstatic to finally have was someone who understood how much time and effort goes into living the type of life they each do. They hadn’t had time to date or to party or to even socialize too much, which is why almost every day Camila and Lauren had a beach day, pool day, or movie day with Alexa and Dinah who got along great already and the four had had a blast together, but unfortunately volleyball was calling and Camila was answering the call for Lauren and dragging her their. Neither of them wanted to leave their friends so early but they knew they had to and aside from the bitterness of not seeing friends until Christmas, they were excited to move in together. One of the many perks of not having a lot of friends. 

It wasn’t that Lauren didn’t have any friends, it was that she only valued a few and let them see the real her. Camila often thinks back to when she thought Lauren was a stuck up, popular bitch and wants to punch her past self. 

Camila was already without her family so she knew it would be her turn to comfort Lauren when the older girl started to miss sibling, like Lauren had done for Camila on those nights that Camila called her parents too late and Sofi was already asleep. 

She also knew she would have to become Lauren’s number one sports fan because with Taylor and Chris as siblings Lauren was used to having a lot of moral support, so hopefully Camila could pull through in that field. She started off by going to Lauren’s first practice with her. She knew Lauren wanted her to go but didn’t feel confident asking, so Camila offered and then didn’t let Lauren protest, bringing extra waters because she knew Lauren forgot sometimes from what Clara had told her and silently watching the girl at work. Camila wasn’t sure how to volleyball but she knows that Lauren Jauregui is good at volleyball. 

That started a trend and soon enough Camila was going to all of Lauren’s practices. It wasn’t awkward because other teams were at the huge gym so other people were watching, but luckily the gym wasn’t packed yet since only fall sports teams were there at the time. Camila didn’t cheer or anything obnoxious, she just offered Lauren a thumbs up and a goofy smile whenever the raven haired girl looked back at Camila, usually after she did something cool to make sure that Camila had been watching and wearing that same smirk Camila had grown so used to, but now only saw as an adorable little reminder that Lauren Jauregui was in fact a real person and not some angelic figment of her imagination because that girl is really to good to be true. 

Lauren and Camila’s room was what one would expect, half clean half messy. Basically a perfectly drawn line dividing Camila’s mess from Lauren’s neat piles of stuff but Lauren made sure to pick up after her messy friend every now and then to keep their room looking how she wanted it. In return Camila would buy her coffees every morning before she woke up, (Surprisingly Lauren slept later than Camila and that continued to confuse Camila since their first sleepover the night of graduation [which technically Camila feel asleep watching movies and boy did Dinah question her afterward and boy did Dinah freak out when she found out Camila spent the night at Lauren Jauregui’s house]).

“Good game Lo, you really showed those panthers who’s boss huh?” Camila beams, pulling Lauren into a tight hug to celebrate the victory despite Lauren’s protesting concerning sweat and smell. 

“Thank you Camz, I can’t believe you stayed the whole tournament, it wasn’t even official yet,” Lauren exclaims as she pulls out of the hug and leans back to pull her hair into a high pony. “I can’t even imagine what you’ll be like when we start going to actual competitions, I mean you were getting pretty into that and you don’t even know what’s going on during those games,” Lauren teases earning a smack on the arm from Camila as they make their way down out of the gym and down to one of the paths that leads back to their dorm. Perks of being on a sports team is they try to give you rooms closer to your location of necessity.

“Fuck off Lo, you know that I just love cheering for you in those shorts you wear, can’t help it you're irresistible,” Camila teases with a wink and Lauren blushes slightly but turns to shove Camila gently with a giggle that Camila returns.

“Really though Camila thank you for coming to everything, I know classes start this week so I don’t expect you to keep coming to practices and shit, but really thank you it means a lot to have support when last year I was thinking I’d be at my dream school and not know a soul. It makes the experience better,” Lauren explains with a small smile and Camila returns it for a moment before reaching down to lock arms with Lauren whose grin widens when Camila lightly tugs and pulls her along, skipping and laughing and acting like idiots as they trek back to their room to get ready for the upcoming shift in schedule. 

They’re still giggling when they get into the room and Camila could pick a word to describe how this school year is looking so far she’d have to go with perfect. 

It is for a while, perfect that is. Camila and Lauren pick up a schedule between classes and practices and games and Camila gets a job at a cafe near the gym so Lauren can come get drinks after their Saturday morning workouts. 

They're both busy, but Camila still goes to all of Lauren's games and as many practices as possible, and Lauren never goes out with her teams when it's Friday's because that's Camila time. Whether it's movies or dinner (it's usually movies and dinner) Lauren and Camila are always free on Friday nights for each other because when the hectic schedules began they didn't want to lose touch at all. They haven't at all either, mainly because they live together so even without the Friday excuse they'd be likely to stay close anyways. 

The two see each other every night and even though sometimes Lauren's practice will run late or Camila's study group will be at a far off library, the two always find themselves talking before bed. Just small talk, updated on each day that passes, silly little things for the most part. Camila gives Lauren daily updates on the oblivious boy in her bio class who doesn't seem to take a hint, Lauren vents about her annoying professors. 

Sometimes they need to vent about more serious stuff and those are the nights they end up curling against each other. They don't talk about that because cuddling the way they do isn't exactly platonic but nobody else can question it so they both ignore it, internally claiming that they're just too close of friends to think anything of holding each other.

By the time October rolls around they have a pretty solid schedule down pat, Camila picking up takeout or making mac and cheese every night, Lauren picking up Camila on lunch breaks to go to the dining hall together. 

Camila’s crush is also becoming much more solid. She’s not going to make a move because she’s never dated anybody ever and she has no clue how to read whether or not Lauren likes her back. She doubts the older girl would though, she’s always been completely out of everyone’s league in Camila’s eyes. She doesn’t really mind not being more than good friends with Lauren because she still gets to spend time with Lauren and it’s not like the raven haired girl is dating anyone else so there isn’t anything to be jealous of.

It’s mid October when Lauren first gets really homesick and Camila is there for her because she can’t bare to see Lauren upset for anything, not even a bad game. But this is obviously more serious and when Camila walks in their dorm room later than scheduled with two hot cocoas too make up for being so late, she’s heartbroken at a teary eyed Lauren in her younger brothers sweater crying into her pillow. 

“Lo? Fuck Lauren what’s wrong?” Camila asks, placing the two drinks on the obviously over flowing desk they share and moving quickly to sit on the bed beside the distraught girl, who looks shy now that Camila is back and seeing her in such a vulnerable state. 

“Chris won the regionals today,” Lauren answers after a moment of Camila brushing her hair away from her face gently and rubbing soft circles on her back, urging her to talk. “I just… I really wanted to be there for him since he was always at every one of my games and I know it’s dub Camz but I miss him so much and now I’m missing such a big moment… I mean he’s the captain this year and he says it’s fine but I want to be there for it all,” Lauren says between muffled cries and once she has voiced that she lets herself release another sob. 

Camila doesn’t say anything, knowing that isn’t what Lauren needs right now. Dinah was Camila’s rock through the time that Camila was adjusting to her family’s absence and the Polynesian had never forced Camila to talk at times like this, she’d always just hold her.

So Camila carefully slid fully into Lauren’s bed after slipping her converse off and laid herself back before urging Lauren to turn, allowing the older girl to bury her face into Camila’s chest to let out her sobs. 

Camila doesn’t know how, but holding Lauren this way through the night makes her feelings for the other girl increase in ten fold. Maybe it’s just that she feels closer to her. Her and Lauren obviously became quick best friends but they were yet to have such a raw, emotional experience. Sure Camila had cried to Lauren a few times about her family, and Lauren had cried a few times about her stress, but something about holding Lauren all night until she was sure Lauren couldn’t let out another sob if she tried made her heart swell for her companion. 

Despite that though, Camila is the one to start dating somebody else because she’s so certain that Lauren would never be interested in a romantic relationship with Camila.

The girl’s name is Ariana, she is small and cute and funny and in Camila’s psychology elective and she’s also been asking Camila to hangout since the first week. Camila notices the flirty way she’s doing it though and after the Italian girl’s adorable attempts Camila finally agrees to coffee with her one day. Camila however, doesn’t miss the glint in Lauren’s eyes when she calls a rain check for lunch because of her “date” and that glint is enough for Camila’s hope to respark and she decides that maybe this isn’t a date and instead lets Ariana down easy right away, explaining her feelings for her friend and that maybe they could still be friends. 

Ariana is, as Camila expected she would be, completely fine with that and one of the quickest friends (other than Lauren) that Camila thinks possible to make. Camila vents to her about liking Lauren and Ariana listens closely, offering advice and venting back about her ex boyfriend Jai who keeps texting her to meet up. 

So their relationship is nothing but platonic and it’s quickly growing as Lauren’s volleyball practices become private and more plentiful. Lauren has to skip out on lunch together now for team bonding so Camila hangs out more with Ariana. But this barely counts as any time spent with Ari because Camila is trying to be a pediatric surgeon, that’s been the goal since seventh grade when she decided less time on volleyball and more time on studying to live better off and help her family. So Ariana gets the time between Lauren time and studying which is a daily dedication. 

Camila always ends up with Lauren at the end of the day, and Friday nights are still date nights. Well not really dates nights per say but that’s what Camila has started to call them in her head. Lauren never asks about Ariana, but whenever Camila mentions her while retelling something that happened the prior day she can see the older girl’s jaw clench and the smile Lauren has on her beautiful face becomes more forced. Camila kind of wants to clarify that they’re not dating to ease Lauren’s discomfort, but she doesn’t want to assume things and she doesn’t want to lose any hope if Lauren shoots back and “I don’t care” or stops showing any signs. Plus like Camila said she’s bad at reading signs and maybe (probably) it’s all in her head.

Ariana always advises Camila to just tell her, talk it out with her and see where things go from there. Ariana has only seen them interact a few times, like when Lauren comes home from practice and Camila and Ariana are finishing a show or homework and what not, but based on what she’s seen from Lauren she seems certain that the older girl feels the same as Camila does, maybe even more strongly. 

“I’m telling you Mila she’s into you,” Ariana says to Camila without looking away from the court as she takes a sip of her iced tea. “Plus you really gotta get laid, all your stressing over this is giving me headaches.”

Camila laughs but smacks Ariana’s arm as she moves her eyes from Lauren on the court to Ariana. “Shut up Ari that’s not what I need,” Camila blushes slightly, moving her eyes back to the game though when she hears the signature sound of the ball being spiked. “And she doesn’t feel the same I’m telling you, I’ll just make myself look like an idiot then things will be awkward. I just need to avoid the issue and focus on classes.”

“Jesus Mila you’re such a downer,” Ariana groans over dramatically, “you said she was number one in class right?” the smaller girl questions and at Camila’s hesitant nod she continues, “Then how come Jauregui knows how to have a decent time but you’re always on about books and shit?”

“She does not know how to have a fun time either!” Camila argues, blushing slightly since she just admitted Ariana was right about her. Ariana laughs at her mishap earning another smack on the arm and then a loud ow from Ariana. “Anyways I’m not going to tell her because I’m too awkward and it’s better like this,” Camila states, gesturing to Lauren on the court, who happens to be facing them and sends Camila wide smile in turn to being addressed. 

So yeah, Ariana keeps Camila company at the games now because sitting alone was kind of boring, especially since she still doesn’t quite get volleyball since she quit in seventh grade. Ariana is one of her only friends right now besides Lauren, and Ariana used to play volleyball in high school, so it’s killing two birds with one stone. 

That though, Ariana keeping her company at games is proving to be more helpful than for just someone to talk too when Lauren starts showing more jealousy. 

At first Lauren is nice to Ariana, like really overly nice because she doesn’t know her at all. Lauren’s always been one to believe innocent until proven guilty instead of Camila’s guilty until proven innocent. 

Unfortunately, after seeing Ariana out with some boy with shaggy brown hair one Wednesday night when she’s out to a team dinner is when Lauren has proof that poor Ariana is guilty. She cares about Camila and seeing the girl Camila spends so much time with cheating on her is making Lauren sick. And hey maybe Camila and Ariana aren’t exclusive, Lauren never asked because she thought it would be too painful after years of pining after Camila, but Ariana still shouldn’t be hooking up with this guy. 

So Lauren isn’t as nice anymore, usually being moody and snarky whenever the smaller girl was around and usually Ariana picked up on the tension that Camila didn’t. For her part, Ariana had no clue how the two girls were so oblivious. Sometimes she just wanted to smack Lauren across the head and explain how obvious Camila was, she followed Lauren around like a puppy dog for crying out loud. She also wanted to hit her own friend in the head every now and then. Camila was just as clueless as Lauren and Lauren was just as whipped as Camila, getting her food and cuddling whenever requested and waving to her during even the most intense volleyball games. Not to mention that Lauren became a blushing, stuttering mess whenever Camila complimented her or did something cutesy. 

And Camila and Lauren don’t argue, not really ever ever since they realized that their hatred for each other was misplaced. 

Right now they are arguing though, like really arguing. You see, Ariana had started going to all of Lauren’s volleyball events with Camila at this point and Lauren has more than noticed. She’s also noticed Ariana spending more time with that boy than she should. Lauren thinks if Ariana is cheating she should at least have the decency to be sneaky about it.

So Lauren may have been extra snippy with Ariana after her game. And Camila finally decided to call her out for it when Lauren made a comment about Ariana being a slut under her breath because that’s crossing a line. But that only added fuel to Lauren’s fire because poor, innocent, beautiful Camila was defending a cheater. 

It was also a Friday game, so when Lauren leaves the gym without waiting on Camila after their little disagreement the Cuban girl is extremely offended that she’s seemingly blowing off tradition over something so childish. 

“Lauren Michelle Jauregui open the damn door now!” Camila yells as she bangs against the door she locked herself out of. (This is a common occurrence, usually she’s with Lauren though so she doesn’t need to worry about it). “I swear to fucking God Lauren if you don’t-” she starts again after a moment of banging it and is cut off by the door swinging open and a glaring, half dressed Lauren on the other side. 

“Learn to bring your key, dipshit,” Lauren snaps at Camila as she slams the door back shut, too mad to notice Camila’s eyes lingering momentarily on her sports bra clad breasts and legs in the tight shorts for volleyball. Camila is snapped out of her trance though when she hears the familiar insult. Lauren had used that one a lot back in their pathetic fifth grader like fights while they were in high school. 

“Well Lauren we had plans together so I didn’t expect you to ditch out on me,” Camila says in a voice dripping sarcasm as she stands by the door, crossing her arms before continuing. “Plus I was you know, supporting the fuck out of you as usual so I didn’t think you’d leave me at the gym by myself,” Camila continues as Lauren paces around, finding a t shirt and turning to pull her dirty sports bra off and sliding the shirt on quickly so she can face a flushed Camila again. 

“You weren’t alone Camila your precious little Ariana was with you,” Lauren bites back, moving to glare at Camila before continuing, “Hell, why don’t you use our movie tickets to take your girlfriend out okay Camila?”

“Why would I do that Lauren it’s our thing? Are you seriously being this upset over Ariana going to your game with me?” Camila asks, annoyed but genuinely confused (not to mention a little guilty for not telling Lauren that Ari was just a friend) as to whether or not this is what made Lauren this mad. It couldn’t have been the game because her team had won with flying colors. “Why do you hate her so much? All she’s done is be my friend when you’re busy Lo and I don’t get what she did - or what I did to make you so pissed at us lately…” Camila questions, trailing off slightly because she doesn’t know if she is exactly ready to have this conversation. 

“Jesus fucking Christ Camila how dense can someone so smart possibly be?” Lauren says in a voice too calm to match her words. “You know for the genius you are your common sense and observation skills are really fucking lacking.”

“I don’t know what you mean by-”

“God Camila I like you okay?” Lauren shouts cutting her off then pinches the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes momentarily before pacing, leaving a confused Camila standing with her jaw dropped at the door, not knowing if she heard her correctly. “At graduation when I said.. When I asked you to come with my family I kinda wanted you to be my date, you know?” Lauren mumbles, face flushing and looking down as she continues to pace nervously, toying with her fingers the same way she continued to do during volleyball games and while studying for anything now that all of her classes were so difficult. “I wasn’t clear I know but… I asked you out again and you just, you wouldn’t pick up on it and I just assumed maybe you were straight but then like a week later you came out to me, then I just thought you weren’t interested but I just, I liked you a lot, still do…” 

“Lauren I don’t… I don’t even know what to say I was never-”

“It’s okay Camila I shouldn’t have snapped,” Lauren confesses, running a hand through her hair and closing her eyes tightly, as if she’s trying to block out reality. “Fuck it’s not your fault that you don’t feel the same I shouldn’t have told you, now it’s going to be awkward I just couldn’t stop my mouth from moving,” Lauren scolds herself and Camila decides she has to shut her up so she reaches for Lauren’s hand and tugs her to sit on one of the beds.

“Lo, you’re wearing a hole into the ground now calm down,” Camila whispers, grasping onto one of Lauren’s hands and cupping her cheek with the other so Lauren will finally look up at her. Camila’s heart breaks when she sees the etrs brimming Lauren’s red eyes but she can’t pull her into a hug before ensuring Lauren that she feels the same. “Aww Lo, honey you need to stop worrying so much,” Camila mumbles before taking a deep breath and readying her confession.

“Remember in the tenth grade when we had Mr. Miller together for Chemistry?” Lauren nods and Camila continues, “Remember when he was assigning seats and he put you next to me and we argued all year over grades?” and Lauren nods once again and Camila takes a deep breath before finally letting out one of her more embarrassing proofs of her crush, “I may have requested to be put there…” she trails off.

“Camz wait why would you - you hated me?” Lauren questions, eyebrows furrowed and sniffles once but is no longer as much on the verge of tears. 

“Well this is kind of embarrassing… really embarrassing, but umm… I had to go to Mr. Miller after school that day and I saw that Brad was supposed to be your lab partner on the seating chart and I may have told Mr. Miller that I have bad vision and needed to be seated in the front row?” she trails off, raising her voice in hopes of Lauren not picking up on how truly stalkerish that is, “and I may or may not have specifically pointed to your bench when he asked me my ideal location?” 

Lauren is silent for a minute. Camila would be scared shitless but then she reminds herself that Lauren had just confessed to liking Camila for a while, right? Camila can see it in her head, the knobs turning and working out what was just said. It’s similar to the look Lauren often had during Chemistry tests in that classroom. The look Lauren had on the last page, the difficult word problems, the ones that Camila would never admit to struggling with as well. Camila could also remember the other part of that process. 

The face Lauren made when she finally figured it out. 

It was the face Camila had always dreaded because she was usually a question behind Lauren in chemistry, meaning that Lauren had just won their race to being number one yet again. But right now she dreaded it because this meant change, and Camila had grown to be afraid of change, especially when it was admitting to your best friend / old enemy that you secretly, unknowingly had a massive crush on them for the years you supposedly hated them.

“Tenth grade?” Lauren asks, eyes clear and determined and as nervous as Camila is she can’t make herself look away, only nods. Lauren is silent for another moment before she breaks into a smile and laughs. She laughs and Camila is confused at first but Lauren’s laugh is as beautiful as she is and camila can’t not laugh along. So they’re laughing for a while, leaning into each other about the fact that they’ve been in love with each other this whole time and didn’t have a damn clue. 

It takes almost ten minutes but they finally calm down until it’s just small giggles and then Lauren sighs before sitting back up to face Camila. Camila sits straight in return, nervous for her valedictorian’s next words because they’re either going to make her or break her (but Camila can tell by the ditzy smile still in place that they’re going to make her). 

“You and Ariana?” Lauren asks with a raise of her eyebrows but she doesn’t look saddened like she did over Ariana earlier.

“Just friends,” Camila confirms and laughs a bit before continuing, “we went on one date so I wasn’t necessarily lying about that but I ended up gushing about how much I liked you the whole time,” she blushes and her slight embarrassment is worth is because Lauren’s face is flushed and her smile is perfect. 

“Okay well now that that’s covered,” Lauren starts and Camila laughs slightly but listens, “What about you and me?”

“You and me?” Camila asks in a teasing tone, quirking an eyebrow pulling away slightly and Lauren nods eagerly, childish grin in place. “Babe I’m your number two remember? Right hand woman, you’ve got me any way you want me,” Camila smiles widely as she speaks because Lauren is smiling even brighter now.

“Well, you know what they say Camz,” Lauren smirks and it’s that damn smirk that Lauren wore during their first final freshmen year, the same smirk she wore during the English writes when she knew she was ahead of Camila, the same smirk she wore on the volleyball court every time she did anything (because Jesus that girl is good), and the same smirk Camila can’t get enough of seeing. “You may be second in our class, but you’re definitely first in my heart.”

And yeah, it’s cheesy. Totally the cheesiest thing Camila has ever heard in her life. But Lauren was first in her high school class, so Camila already knows she’s a complete and total nerd, and that makes Lauren’s words all the more reason to connect their lips in a kiss that Camila wouldn’t trade for all of the perfect math grades in the world. 

-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay to finishing this and sorry if this second part doesn't meet expectations but thank you to every one who left feedback on part 1!! Please do the same for this one if you liked and check out my other stuff @ longerr_hours on watty

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHORS NOTE  
> Hey guys, I was going to write Christmas fluff but then I kind of didn’t want to? I’m not very merry since Camila left and all but I wanted to write something so this is the outcome.   
> Please review, like, let me know how it was and also sorry but I don’t proofread shit  
> If you’re interested check out my other works @longerr_hours on wattpad and be my friend @topssdown on twitter !!!  
> Thanks again!!  
> There will be a part 2 sometime this week, when will depend on the feedback I guess??   
> Merry Christmas and holidays to all!!


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